Book Review-Say-You-Still-Love-Me

Say You Still Love Me

by

K. A. Tucker

Say You Still Love Me is romance written in a then and now format.  Then being a school summer camp where characters meet and now is thirteen years later or present day, if you will.

Piper Calloway is a seventeen-year-old daughter whose family is not at all short of money.   She would rather be in Paris with her friends instead of spending the summer as a counsellor at the school camp her mother attended.

Kyle Miller is definitely from the other side of the tracks.  Far from being wealthy most of Kyle’s family are in prison for various reasons.

After a wonderful time at camp they promise each other to stay in touch and that is the last time they see each other, for thirteen years.  By this time Piper is VP of her father’s company when she sees Kyle in a security guard uniform in her building.

As with all romances there are several complications before life becomes uncomplicated for them. Piper learns the reason why she never heard from Kyle after Summer Camp all those years ago.  The biggest question is can she forgive, forget and move forward?  And will Kyle be by her side?

                                                                                             

As with all of Ms Tucker’s books

that I have so far read,

I thoroughly enjoyed

 Say You Still Love Me,

and

I rated

 Say You Still Love Me,

as an enjoyable

four-star read.

***

At the time of writing my review

other Goodreads readers have rated

 Say You Still Love Me,

At the time of writing my review,

other Goodreads readers have rated

 Say You Still Love Me,

an average of 3.84 stars

from 18,010 ratings

and 2,210 reviews.

***

Say You Still Love Me,

can be purchased online at

Booktopia, Fishpond and Amazon

 ***

 

 

Book Review-The-Player-Next-Door

The Player Next Door

by

K. A. Tucker

 

I first read The Player Next Door in 2020, however, for some unknown reason I did not review it.  In a nutshell, The Player Next Door is about Scarlet returning to her hometown only to discover that her high school heart-throb is now her next-door neighbour.

 

Scarlet Reed returns to Polson Falls, her hometown where, thanks to her mother’s sexual proclivities, she was known as the harlot’s daughter during her youth.   She has secured a teaching position at the local school and purchased a fixer-upper to call home.  Life looks good until she meets her next-door neighbour, Shane Beckett, the high school star quarterback who broke her heart over a decade ago.

Scarlet makes it abundantly clear that she has not forgotten the pain caused by their teenage breakup.

Shane claims to be a better person now than he was then. Neighbours they may be, but Scarlet wants nothing more than to be Shane’s neighbour.  Scarlett vows not to fall for Shane again.  However, as she gets to know this version of Shane, she begins to fear that she’s wrong.  Perhaps Shane has changed:  maybe she should give him a chance.  As she allows herself to think these thoughts, Scarlet comes to the conclusion that she should give Shane a second chance; after all, they were good in high school and the only thing he did wrong was to dump her unexpectedly.   Perhaps Scarlet is the one playing herself out of a chance at true happiness. And ever so slowly Scarlett and Shane’s friendship grows into something more than a platonic relationship.

This is my second read of The Player Next Door and I have enjoyed it as much as the first time.

I rated

The Player Next Door

as a

Three Star

  read.

Other Goodreads readers have rated

The Player Next Door

an average of 3.80 stars

from 12,858 ratings

and 1,372 reviews.

***

 

The Player Next Door

can be purchased online at

Fishpond, Booktopia, and Amazon

 

 

Book-Review-Cobalt-Blue

Cobalt Blue

by

Matthew Reilly

 

Thirty-five years ago in the Alaskan wild, an American scientist and a Russian soldier discover a satellite half buried in the snow.   A door on the satellite suddenly opens and they are enshrouded in a mist that came from inside the satellite.  Later they discover that they appear to have acquired superpowers. 

 

For the next thirty-five years thereafter Cobalt protected all things American and raised seven children, only one of which was her natural child.  The first six were fathered by men who were the highest in their chosen careers using IVF and surrogacy to bring offspring to term.  The Rusian soldier who became known as the Fury of Russia, was a brutal person as were his offspring.

Upon Cobalt’s demise, the Fury of Russia began a systematic killing of Cobalt’s children so he could rule the U.S.A.

Initially, I thought Cobalt Blue was a tad on the slow side, however, the book did pick up as I read more of the story.  And while it is marketed as a novel, I think that at 182 pages it must be considered a short novel.

This brings me to my rating.  

After reading the first few chapters I had Cobalt Blue provisionally rated as a three-star book, however, as my reading progressed so did my rating. 

 

I have rated

Cobalt Blue

as a 

four-star read.

***

At the time of completing my review

other Goodreads readers had awarded

Cobalt Blue

an average of 3.90 stars

from 720 ratings

and 104 reviews.

****

 

 

Cobalt Blue

 can be purchased online at 

Amazon‎, Booktopia, and Fishpond

 

Book Review-Fallen-Empire-#4

Fallen Empire

Dirty Empire Book #4

by

Nina West/K. A. Tucker

************

 

Following hot on the heels of book three, Fallen Empire continues the story of the Easton Family and Gabriel and Caleb’s efforts to free themselves from their father’s (Vlad Easton) world of drugs.

Gabriel and Caleb want to free themselves from Vlad’s world so they can focus on their club and perhaps buy a Casino.  Although in jail Vlad gets wind of this and has Mercy Wheeler (Gabriel’s girlfriend) kidnapped by Bane, a rather unsavoury character, to say the least, in order to force Gabriel into doing as Vlad orders.  Vlad still has a long reach even from behind bars.

As the body counts mount it becomes clear that being related to, or working for the Easton Family is a dangerous pastime.  Particularly when Father Vlad is ordering the hits from his prison cell.

How and will Gabriel and Caleb be able to safely escape their father’s control? Or will one or both become part of the body count?  What will become of Mercy?

A rather gory but enjoyable finale to the Dirty Empire series.  I noticed in my book 3 review I had mentioned that the bedroom (Books 1 & 2) was not overshadowing the storyline.  A similar comment is applicable to Fallen Empire (Book 4).   Whilst the bedroom is mentioned not infrequently, that’s as far as it goes.  Fallen Empire is all about business.

I found Fallen Empire to be another page-turner

from the pen of Nina West and rated Fallen Empire as a three-star read

 

I rated

Fallen Empire

as a

read.

***

At the time of completing my review

other Goodreads readers

have awarded

Fallen Empire

an average of 4.00 stars

from 2,294 ratings

and 146 reviews.

*****

Fallen Empire

can be purchased online at

Fishpond, and Amazon

Unavailable at Booktopia,

 

Book Review-Down-Dirt-Roads

 

Down-Dirt-Roads

by

Rachael Treasure

Initially, I thought Down Dirt Roads sounded like a collection of short stories.  In a manner of speaking, I guess that is what it was.  However, it was written in an autobiographical style and narrated by Jennifer Vuletic.  Down Dirt Roads is a story of the author’s own life and farming ideas.  One with which I could relate very easily.

 

As a teenager, I often asked why we did something in such a manner, particularly when I had seen and completed the same task in a much easier way.   Depending on who I was speaking to there was one of two answers. 

 The first answer was: ‘Because we have always done it this way.’ 

The second was: ‘There’s your way and the right way.’

Basically, these were the same responses our author received when she wanted to try something different.

She also hit a brick wall when her marriage failed.  It was not He who had to move off the family farm, rather it was She.  Miss Treasure had to up-end her life where she was raised, take her children out of their nearby school and find somewhere else to live.

Down Dirt Roads was not the sort of story that I would normally read, however it was an enjoyable audiobook.

 I rated

Down Dirt Roads

as an enjoyable

 three-star audiobook

*** 

At the time of writing my review

other Goodreads had awarded

 Down Dirt Roads

 an average of 3.96 stars,

 from 181 ratings,

and 18 reviews.

 ***

Down Dirt Roads

can be purchased online at 

Booktopia, Fishpond and Amazon

Book Review-Surrender-to-Me-Wolf-#4

Surrender to Me

(The Wolf Hotel #4)

by 

Nina West

AKA – K. A. Tucker

 

 

I have just finished Surrender to Me for the third time.  Not because the book was a ripper to read, no it seemed my memory was failing me because the morning after I had completed my read I had forgotten the plot. 

This time around, however, I realised why I kept forgetting the plot.  It was simply a case of there wasn’t one!   That is unless explicit sex/bedroom scenes are considered part of the plot.

The only saving grace is that Surrender to Me, like the rest of the series, is an easy read.   There is a funeral, a game of golf and Henry had a gold mine collapse on him during an earthquake.  Even the gold mine collapse was told from Abbi’s viewpoint and from the safety of Wolf Alaska.

The ending to Surrender to Me was abrupt; however, it has left the door open for book 6, which I would happily read as I believe the scope is there for an ending to, or continuation of, the series.  And it should also be a quick read.

 

I have rated

Surrender to Me

as a three-star read.

At the time of completing my review

other Goodreads readers had awarded

Surrender to Me

an average of 4.31 stars

from 7,440 ratings

and 540 reviews.

Surrender to Me

can be purchased online at

Amazon‎, 

Booktopia, and Fishpond

 

 

 

Book-Review-Indecent-Ambition

 

Indecent Ambition is my third of Jennifer Bacia’s novels and tells Lenore’s story.

 After her (sexually) abusive father’s death, fourteen-year-old Lenore was taken in by ‘Nan’ who lived a few doors away.  Lenore soon realises she is pregnant with her father’s child and Nan organises an abortion for Lenore.

Sometime later Lenore gives herself to someone a little older than herself, again falling pregnant.  When she discovers the boy has left Australia and returned to his mother in the U.S.A. and she has another bad experience with a newborn Lenore swears that never again will she allow men to put her in that position.

Twenty years on Lenore, now known as Anthea, is at a preselection meeting for a safe party seat in the Australian Federal Parliament and meets her old flame again.   It takes a while before she accepts a job offer from David and still longer before they get back together.  In the midst of all this is Oscar’s (David’s friend) twenty-year-old daughter Kelly who has a huge crush on David.

Will Kelly get her way with David?  Or will David and Anthea hold fast?

There is a reasonably large part of Indecent Ambition I have not mentioned in my review simply because to do so would contain many spoilers.   I am fairly certain that fans of Jennifer Bacia, will rate Indecent Ambition highly. If you haven’t read any of Bacia’s works as yet,  I highly recommend Indecent Ambition and Never Forget Me as starting points.

 

I rated

Indecent Ambition

as a solid

four-star read

**** 

At the time of writing my review

other Goodreads readers had awarded

Indecent Ambition

an average of 3.12 stars

from 26 ratings

 and 4 reviews

****

Indecent Ambition

can be purchased online at

Booktopia, Fishpond and Amazon

                                                                                                

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                          

                                                          

Book Review-Ronan-Wolfe-5

Ronan

(The Wolf Hotel #5)

A Novella

by

Nina West

 

Ronan, book 5 of the Wolfe Hotel series, is actually a novella prequel to the series in my opinion.  As with all of Nina West’s books, Ronan is an enjoyable read about young people although being a novella it ended just as it was getting going.  As always a novella only gets its best rating of three stars from this reviewer.

It commences with the recently dumped Ronan, moving back to Miami Wolfe and moving in with Connor and his step-sister, Ryan, also recently broken up with her boyfriend of 18 months.  Both Ronan and Ryan are still coming to terms with their breakup, although, outwardly it is Ryan who is having the hardest time coping with her recent status change.   Connor has rented the spare room to Ronan which has an adjacent wall next to Ryan’s room and to make matter worse he rented it without letting Ryan know.

While hitting on a mate’s sister is frowned upon it is Connor who suggests that Ryan finds someone for comfort only to help her get over her ex.   And it is Ryan who visits Ronan at 2 AM and turns a one night stand into a smouldering week-long romance.

Connor has already booked his flight to Alaska and it is only after a crew member pulls out for family reasons that Ronan decides to join Connor in a summer adventure in Alaska.

As previously stated, I enjoyed Ronan and Ms West writes in an easy to read fast-moving style.

I rated

Ronan

as an easy

3 star read

At the time of completing my review

Other Goodreads readers had awarded

Ronan

an average of 3.95 stars

from 1,104 ratings

and 96 reviews.

****

Ronan

can be purchased online at

Amazon‎,

****

 

Book Review-Teach-Me-Wolfe-3

Teach Me

(The Wolf Hotel #3)

by

Nina West

       
Teach Me (Wolf Hotels #3), by Nina West, begins with Abbi’s father having a farming accident.   Leaving her job at Wolf Cove to fly home to Pennsylvania, she has resigned herself to spending the next twenty hours on planes or in airports.  Arriving in Homer she steps off the ferry and immediately finds she is being offered a ride to the airport. Not the airport she was destined for, but a private airport…the Wolf Airport.

Once home Abbi again has to face her mother’s wrath, conveniently overlooking all the good Henri had done for the Mitchell family in their time of need. Mother Mitchell (Bernadette) only had eyes for Jed as a life partner for Abbi, not caring that Abbi and Jed had split because Jed cheated on Abbi.

By this stage, the editing was beginning to annoy me.  Simple words were being left out of the text left right and centre.  For example; straight from the text this sentence reads; 

“I smile as reach up to unfasten the top button of my dress.”

Whereas I think either of these alternatives reads much better and makes more sense:

“I smile as (I) reach up to unfasten the top button of my dress.”

“I smile (and) reach up to unfasten the top button of my dress.”

I have one final question to put to the panel; 

‘How did Henri acquire rough, calloused, hands?’  

There are several references to his calloused hands, however, the only times I have ever seen calloused hands was after heavy manual labour and I have chopped enough wood in my life to know that he did not get calloused hands from the bit he chopped up in book one.

Teach Me moves along at a good pace, however, there were many times when I felt that there could have been a bit more to the plot other than lengthy descriptions of Abbi’s and Henri’s bedroom antics.

I rated

Teach Me

as an easy

3 star read

At the time of completing my review

Other Goodreads readers had awarded

Teach Me

an average of 4.13 stars

from 6,352 ratings

and 99 reviews.

****

Teach Me

can be purchased online at

Boktopia, Fishpond and Amazon‎,

****

Book-Review-Never-Forget-Me

Never Forget Me

by

Jennifer Bacia

 

Never Forget Me was my second of Jennifer Bacia’s novels and will not be my last.

Tess Jordan and her friends spent her teen years squatting anywhere she could find a warm and dry place to sleep on the streets of New York City.  During her teens, Tess was always ambitious and planning her next step in life.  By the time Tess had reached her mid-thirties, she had become Hollywood’s most powerful female executive heading up the World Link Studios.  Tess’ ambition was to make a film about Elizabeth Eden; an actress who died under interesting circumstances some twenty years earlier.

Upon receiving a green light, from the studio owner and his legal team, to make the movie, the movie lot on which it was to be made was destroyed and the deaths of people associated with Elizabeth Eden also rose.    Combine this with a Presidential Election on the horizon and the son of a past-favoured president as the likely winner and we have the potential for a Hollywood movie.

I am a fan of this novel’s political intrigue and thoroughly enjoyed Jennifer Bacia’s, Never Forget Me.  I believe it is a well-written novel with enough twists, turns and intrigue to keep most readers interested.

I will keep reading her books in future months.

 

I rated

Never Forget Me

as a solid

five-star read

**** 

At the time of writing my review

other Goodreads readers had awarded

Never Forget Me

an average of 4.43 stars

from 7 ratings

 and 0 reviews

****

Never Forget Me

can be purchased online at

Booktopia, Fishpond and Amazon